Automated Laboratory Standards: Evaluation of the Use of Automated FinancialSystem Procedures

摘要

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has initiated a program to ensurethe integrity of computer-resident data in laboratories performing analyses in support of EPA programs. The report describes the findings of a review of standards used in existing automated systems in the financial industry. EPA has chosen to study financial system standards because the financial industry has had many years of experience with automated systems, and reliability and validity of financial data is critical to the success of financial institutions. In addition, auditors have developed a broad system of controls designed to ensure the integrity of financial data compiled in automated systems. The financial industry's experience in preserving data integrity in automated financial systems can well be applied to the automated laboratory environment. The main sources of risk to data integrity are present in both automated financial and automated laboratory systems.